Commentary

Was AIDS Quilt brought for naught?

To the Editor:

Now, many of you have seen the display of the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt. You have seen over a thousand lives lain out on the floor here - needless victims of the AIDS epidemic. But this was only a fraction of the entire Quilt, which is composed of over 40,000 panels. And these 40,000+ lives are only a fraction of the AIDS deaths incurred around the world. 11% to be exact. How many more people have to die before we do something about it? While the government sits back on its heels and watches the funding for AIDS research, treatment and education/awareness either dwindle, remain stagnant or increase at a snail's pace, severely disproportionate to the rapidly growing epidemic, we too squander our opportunities to prevent the spread of this terrifying disease and all too often fall victim to it ourselves through our youthful, yet risky behavior. If it were your sibling, your friend or your child on one of those panels, would it make more of a difference? Would you then be inclined to take a stand against the AIDS crisis? Someday, that could be a reality. Then would you feel a hint of guilt for having done little or nothing to protect your loved ones? Does it have to come to this sort of personal apocalypse before we confront this ongoing crisis? Indeed, the Quilt serves its purpose as a memorial and is rather effective at raising awareness about the reality of the AIDS epidemic, but, in truth, all the awareness in the world will not save us if we continue our unthinking behaviors. AIDS is everyone's problem and until we take the measures to halt its rampant course, we will continue to be haunted by its looming threat of death. Therefore I encourage, even implore, you all to take actions which perhaps could mean difference between life and death for your peers. I certainly do not either want to become, or to see one of my friends become, simply another panel in the already painfully enormous Quilt. DO YOU?

-Jenna Hill (College Sophomore)

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